Clamp for printing-plates.



W. P. MINNIGK. CLAMP FOB. PRINTING YLATES. APBLIOATION FILED 001'. 16, 1911.

Patented Mar. 24, 1914.

Allo'rney of Niles, State/Of Ohio.

STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

wrLLIAM F. MINNICK, OF NILES, .OHIO, AssIGNoR T COMPANY. OF ngrnsomo. A CORPORATION or OHIO.

THE HARRIS AUTOMATIC PRESS CLAMP For. PRINTING-PLATES.

To all whom it may maker-2:

Be it known that I, Wn...

in the county of Trrimbull and have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps for;

do hereby declarelrinting-Plates; and I' I the following to be a full,- clearj, an l exact description of the invention, suclras will en- Qable others skilled in the art {to which it appertains to makeand use the same. 1

The primary object of this invention is to I provide anextremely-sin; 1e and inexpentrotype plates to the bed of a printing SIVB clamp for securing s ereotype or clecpress,

whether flat or cylindrical, and to enable I such clamps to be readily inserted. and re- 'taining the moved from the bed. And a further object is toprovide a clam be secured without. anger of buckling.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth andparticularly .pointed out in the claims. i i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure -1 is a top plan view ing press form eylindcr showing-a portion of a plate held by my improvedclamps. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional new of a portion of the plate and-formcylinder with the clamp in position. Fig.

is a similar view taken through the Clamp. Fig. 4 is-a longitudinal sectional view-on line 4-4, Fig. 3." Fig. 5 is a view of aderice for removing the clamp. Figs. 6 and 7 show a' slight modification.

In carrying out my 1IIVBIIUOII, the bed of the printing press, which may be either flat (ii-cylindrical, is provided with a series of grooves to accommodate the clamps for reprinting. plate in position on the bed.

In the drawings I have shown a -fragmenface of this cylinder I form spirally-arranged grooves 2 which are undercut to form oppositely projecting flanges 3. The clamp comprises a retaining'plate 4 and a base 5, the former being beveled along one This plate is or more of its edges, as at 6.

by a screw 7.v

pivotally secured to the base which latter may bctightcned to hold the retaining plate firmly in place, The printing plate is thus held to the bed by the binding action of the beveled edge of the retaining plate and in tightening the screw the printing plate will not buckle.

' a lic tio filed October 16. 191i.

gs. 2 and by which a plate may.

of a portion of. a print the base the Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 24, 1914 Serial No. e54,979.' 1

' The base 5 is composed of two parts, cor

responding in length, but one of the parts,

.8,'is of materially less width than the main part of the base; Between these two parts a lateral movement isobta'ined by means of colled springs 9 whicln'serve to normally hold. the :-two parts separated, as shown in 3. The means shown for limit- I ing the movements ofthe two partsofthe base under-the action of' the springs conof'stu'ds 10 carried by part 8 and extending into Op'cmngs 12 in the other part,

said studs being flanged at their endsfas at '13, to engage shoulders 14 formed bycOunterboring the openings. f

' In applying the clamp, the operator grasps the base between his thumb and one or two of his fingers, and by pressingthe two parts together the base may be inserted, into a groove of the press bed, and after it clears the flanges .3- the springs will force the two'parts against the walls of the groove and beneath-the flanges. To remove the I clamp itis necessary to provide some means for compressing the'p'arts Of the base. In Fig; I have shown a device for this'purpose which is substantially in the form of a air of tweezers l5 and to enable the dc- P v vice to readily engage the opposite sides of ends of the latter are ably beveled, as at 16. two armsot' the tweezers as provided with inwardly projecting flanges- 17 which serve as stops upon cngagingtl lc base. I

In Figs. 6' and 7 I have shown a slight prefer- I have shown the modification, the two parts of thcbase being in partyseparated by a single spring 9' en'- circling a stud 10, and the screw 7 of the.

" ntended. to work 1n retaining platev is threaded recesses in the opposite faces of the two base i with the spring, force said the walls of the grooves.

The advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated. It will be seen that a clamp constructed in accordance therewith is composed of but very'few parts and hence members and thereby, together members against will not-readily get, out of order, and also that it may he easily'inserted into and re-- moved from the grooves of the bed;

The present invention hasthc further advantage that the printing plate will not buckle in applying the clamps. This is due to the fact that the clamping action is brought about by securing the clamping plate to its base, and in consequence the latter, together with its spring-pressed portion, is drawn tight against the overhanging flanges of the groove by the act'of tightening the clamping plate, which latter is drawn to the printing plate in a line at right angles to the face of the latter. There is no lateral movement of the clamping plate 'which would tend to buckle the printing plate. The tightening of the latter is sufli- .cient to retain the base in the grooved foundation thereby relieving the spring or springs from the-strain which would occur if they. were depended upon to retain the base-in the groove. In other Words, the springs place the base members in position relatively to the overhanging flanges so that the act of tightening the clamping plate will effect the locking of the base member.

I claim as my invention:

, 1. A plate clamp for printing presses comprising a base designed to fit within a grooved foundation, a spring-pressed mem- 'ber carried by said base, a retainingplatc designed to be located above the grooved foundation, and a screw connecting the retaining plate to the base, said base and its spring-pressed member being firmly held in the groove as the screw is tightened to cause the retaining plate to engage a printing plate.-

2. In combination with a printing bed haying a groove therein with overhanging flanges, a clamp comprising a base having oppositely-movable members for engaging the walls of said groove beyond said flanges, yielding means normally holding said members extended, and a retaining plate adjustably connected to said base, which latter is drawn against said flanges by the adjuslment of the retainin plate.

3. A plate clamp or printing presses com prising a retaining plate, a base to which said retaining plate is pivotally secured, said base being composed of two parts, one of said parts having openings, and the other of said parts having studs projecting into said openings, and springs interposed between said parts.

4. A plate clamp for printing presses comprising a retaining plate, a base to which said retaining plate is pivotally secured. said base being composed of two parts, one

of said parts having openings, and the other of said parts having studs projecting into said openings, and springs surrounding said studs and located in said openings.

A plate clamp for printing presses comprising a retaining plate, a. base to which said retaining plate is pivotally secured.

said base being composed of two parts, one.

of said parts having openings with shoulders therein, and the other of said partsyh'aving studs extendingfinto said openings and provided with flanges for engaging said shoulders, and springs surrounding said. studs and engaging the flanged ends thereof for. normally holding the parts extended.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. MINNICK.

Witnesses A. D. Loor, R. A. BREEZE. 

